Assassination of Charlie Kirk

Beloved in Christ,

Our nation grieves in the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. However we may differ politically, we must first speak with compassion: a life has been taken, and a family is left in sorrow. We hold them in prayer, asking God’s mercy and comfort to surround all who mourn.

At the same time, we cannot ignore the climate that gives rise to such violence. Words matter. Again and again, we have heard rhetoric—on the right and on the left—that diminishes human dignity. Too often opponents are treated as enemies, or dismissed as beyond redemption. Too often those who know better choose silence, hoping the storm will pass. Violence does not erupt out of nowhere; it is stoked by words and by the refusal to speak against them.

As Christians, we know the cross is not a weapon but a sign of sacrificial love. Christ came not to destroy but to reconcile. As citizens, we also know our country at its best calls us to uphold liberty, justice, and the dignity of every person. These are not competing truths but complementary ones.

So I urge us to take this moment not to cast blame outward, but to look within. What words have we spoken—or left unspoken—that have added to the bitterness? Where have we chosen contempt over compassion, fear over trust? And how might we now speak and act in ways that protect life and honor the image of God in one another?

We cannot change the past, but we can choose another way forward. Christ is our peace, breaking down every dividing wall. Let us be bold enough to name what is wrong, gentle enough to listen, and steadfast enough to keep walking together.

In Christ's Love,

Fr. Lee+